Question Period - 29 April 2010
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Below is an example of our 'democracy' at work, where simple questions put to the minority Conservative Government of Canada are not answered. Instead of debate based on the merits of the issues, we get repeated episodes of obstruction and hollow rhetoric. Is this the brand of politics Canadians deserve?
When watching QP, one thing that has always amazed me is how mud gets tossed from all sides of the House of Commons for 40 minutes or so and then at the end of the session the Speaker points to domestic and foreign dignitaries in the audience who must be asking themselves "WTF is going on here?" Read the text below and you'll see why I'm frustrated and embarrassed about the level of discussion that is taking place amongst our representatives in our elected house.
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Mr. Mark Holland (Ajax - Pickering, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, for more than six months the government blocked the Parliamentary Budget Officer from getting basic information on the Conservatives' plans to build prison cities.
Information that should have been turned over in a day was buried, hidden. The office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer had to build statistical models and dedicate a third of the office for half a year to figure out costs the government was hiding.
Now under threat of a Parliamentary Budget Officer report days away, the government tosses out numbers, but only for one bill with no supporting facts.
Will the minister stop stonewalling and turn over all costs to the Parliamentary Budget Officer?
Hon. Vic Toews (Minister of Public Safety, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, unlike the Liberals, our priority is public safety.
The Liberals have shown that they have a fundamentally different view on what it means to be tough on crime. They believe it is citizens who should be locked up in their own homes while dangerous criminals are out on the streets. That is not the position of our party. We stand with victims. We stand for the rights of Canadians. We are prepared to pay to send dangerous criminals to jail.
Mr. Mark Holland (Ajax-Pickering, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives believe in failed Republican policies. We believe in evidence.
The Conservatives cut 41% from the victims of crime initiative. They slashed, by more than half, spending on crime prevention. They fired the victims ombudsman who said that their plan was unbalanced and would not work. They are now trying to force Parliament to vote in the dark.
The minister says he knows the costs but will not tell. He refuses to co-operate with the Parliamentary Budget Officer. The Speaker has just ruled that denying such information is an attack on democracy.
Will the minister turn over all costs to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, yes or no? It is a simple question.
Hon. Vic Toews (Minister of Public Safety, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about evidence.
We know that the Liberal Party stole $40 million. The Liberals have come back with $1 million. They have still stolen $39 million. That is clear evidence. We know that. Where is the money?
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
The Speaker:
Order, order. Some members are suggesting that they continue their discussion outside. I agree. We are in question period now. The hon. member for Vancouver-Kingsway has the floor.
Mr. Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, NDP):
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week the public safety minister told Canadians that the cost of ending two-for-one sentencing credits and longer sentences would be $90 million. Now he admits the federal government's share will be $2 billion, with billions more downloaded to the provinces to deal with the influx of prisoners.
Can the minister explain how his own estimate of the bill's cost ballooned by 2,000% overnight? And, have the provinces been made aware of the crushing financial burden the Conservatives are imposing upon them?
Hon. Vic Toews (Minister of Public Safety, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, what we do know is that members of the NDP do not care about the cost to victims. They never stand up for victims. They will stand up for Taliban soldiers. They will stand up for dangerous criminals. They will stand up for people who in fact come into this country illegally. But do they ever talk about Canadian victims who are victims of dangerous criminals. Never.
Mr. Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, NDP):
Mr. Speaker, the $2 billion price tag is for only one of the Conservatives' misguided bills. They have even more planned that will cost billions more.
Instead of spending billions to lock up more Canadians for longer, the government should make investments that will make communities safe, like increased funding for front-line mental health services, crime prevention and youth diversion programs which are proven to reduce the crime rate.
Why is the government planning to waste billions of dollars on punishment that does not help victims, but spends little on the practical measures that will actually make Canadians safer?
Hon. Vic Toews (Minister of Public Safety, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, one of the biggest proponents of Bill C-25, ending two-for-one credit, was the NDP justice minister in Manitoba. I would suggest that the member listen to the NDP justice minister in Manitoba because at least that is one New Democrat who actually cares about victims, unlike the caucus over on the other side.
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